Jack's Lost Chapter
by Leonora Chris
Summary: In the story Jack's Helloween, what happened between the chapters one and two?
1. Jack's Lost Chapter

_**(I don't own NCIS or the characters etc from it, only the story is mine.)**_

**So this is the time _between chapters one and two_ in the story '_Jack's Helloween_'. I said something about that if I'd have the inspiration etc for it, I would write about that part. Well... In all honesty, I have _no_ inspiration yet and didn't really care a whole lot about writing this now, but seeing as someone already got very upset and for some reason thinking I'm not even going to think about doing this _(think I was even called lazy writer because of it /shot)_, I decided to sit down and force the story to come. Doing that works for me so that's not really a problem, but it is still doing things the 'hard way' and won't be the very best from me, so I hope it'll work out as it should... _(I'm still not sure what writing this gives to the story, but please let me know so I won't be so clueless anymore)_  
**

**Although I haven't been giving it a whole lot of thought yet and am not going to write it anytime soon _(need to finish some other stories first)_, I already have the name for the sequel. So that's promising, I suppose. I'll most likely announce it on my twitter page once I know for sure _if_ and when I'm going to start working on it.  
**

_**I kept on having the document page open for days so that I would write this chapter/story, but I always found something 'better' to do... Twitter madness, youtube, reading blogs, watching Crocodile Dundee movies... Oh you know. Whatever I could think of just so I could avoid this. Only the image of having people standing behind my back, constantly head slapping me into getting to work, did finally make me finish this little... **_**vermin**_**... Hah. I guess there are times when writing can't be all flowers and happy times...  
**_

_**Leo**_

* * *

**- PART 1½ -**

_**(Second time can't be as bad as the first time, right?)**_

Walking in the bullpen, Tony sighed in relief that he had still good few minutes left before the work would officially start. Getting late _really_ didn't feel such a good idea when Gibbs had lately been in a mood where it was pretty much impossible to tell what would make the man angry. Sure, he had tried to make Gibbs talk to him since it was affecting them all and finally even their work. The man had brushed it off as nothing. Saying he was just being himself on a bad day.

"Boss is not here yet?" McGee asked, dropping his things next to his own desk, having just rushed out of the elevator few seconds before.

Tony chuckled, making himself look relaxed, as if he'd been there for some time already. "Haven't seen him and none of his things seem to be here yet either. Maybe our boss will be late this time?"

With a dreamy look, he imagined how to make fun of Gibbs if that would be the case. Of course in reality he wouldn't be doing that, but it was still fun to let yourself imagine it. Except even in his imagination the whole thing ends with painful head slap.

McGee looked sceptic. "I doubt that... I think with the way he's lately been at our necks, if we're even a second late, it would be little too odd for _him_ to be late..."

"Whatever you say..."

McGee obviously didn't remember their boss was one of those '_you do as I say and not as I do_' people. Oh, right... How could he forget it? It was usually only _him_ that noticed silly little things as that.

Tony started his computer and grinned when he heard someone running there, having used the stairs. What was this? 'Let's all come to work at the last minute' -day?

"Way to go, ninja! You made it!" He cheered, getting a scowl from Ziva as she pretty much drops herself on the chair behind her desk. Looking like she had just ran to work all the way from home.

Before Ziva could answer, Tony's phone started ringing. Taking a look at the name on the screen, he furrows his brows. It pretty much never was a good sign when Vance called him...

"Director..." He answered and listened patiently the man talking to him, perfectly aware of the two sets of prying ears trying to listen.

"I'm on my way..."

Both McGee and Ziva gave him questioning looks, but he pretended to be ignorant as he stood up. "Tell boss I'm with the director, if he asks."

Stepping in the director's office hadn't been something he'd enjoyed doing ever since Jenny's time as the director and thanks to Vance not making it a whole lot better experience for him, Tony prayed silently in his mind that this would be over soon and it wouldn't be some '_need you to do some dirty work for someone_' situation again. Honestly, he really didn't feel like he was up to one of those anytime soon, if ever. Maybe his age was finally catching up on him?

"Is something amusing you, agent DiNozzo?" Vance asked and Tony realized he had laughed out loud.

"No, sir." He coughs, trying to mask rest of his laughter with that.

"Hmm..." Vance took a new toothpick and chewed on it for some time without saying anything, just studying the agent with unreadable expression on his face, making Tony feel as if he was back in school. Standing in the principal's office.

"You called me, saying it's important." He finally spoke and Vance blinks. Seems the man had forgotten completely why he had made that phone call in the first place.

"Right... As of today, you will be made temporary team leader of your team."

"What? What about Gibbs?" Tony frowned. The hairs of his neck stood up and he had a nasty feeling that this wasn't good.

"Agent Gibbs has a situation to deal with. He'll be gone for at least few months."

"Situation?" The frown on Tony's face grew deeper. Why hadn't Gibbs said anything to them?

"Maybe longer."

"What is this... 'situation' you mentioned?"

"Agent Gibbs will tell about it himself."

"But he is alright?"

"He was last time I saw him."

That surely didn't ease the worry or the bad feeling which Tony had. "You can't just tell me what this 'situation' is?"

"I promised to let him tell you himself."

Tony frowns. If Gibbs hadn't told them anything so far, what would guarantee he'd do it now?

Later, as he was walking back in the bullpen, he had a nasty feeling of déjà vu and very bad case of flashbacks, seeing the two people whose boss he didn't want to be. Not even temporary.

"What did Vance want?"

Glancing at the two, Tony felt suddenly cold. He really didn't want to lead the team. Not this team anyway. "Gibbs has some situation going on so he'll be gone for some time..."

"What..?"

"I'll be temporary team leader until then."

"Why?"

Tony felt his trigger finger twitch. "Because I am the senior field agent, _probie_. Because I was the team leader last time also. _Remember_?"

McGee frowns and shares a look with Ziva. The two couldn't have said anything that would've made it more clear what they were thinking. The looks on their faces said more than words ever could.

Feeling a headache coming, Tony wipes a hand over his face with a sigh. "Anyway... I just got a phone call... We have a case, so gear up..."

* * *

By the time impressive ten months had passed, everything was falling apart and there still had not been one word from Gibbs. The only good thing so far had been that unlike during Jenny's time as the director, this time there were no long term secret undercover missions. Something Tony could never be more grateful about. Everything else however...

"Where is McGee and David?" He asked, walking in the bullpen with bunch of coffee with him. The young agent, sitting behind desk, shrugs.

"They went on their coffee break, but they haven't returned yet..."

Glancing once towards the two empty desks, Tony sighs. It was rather obvious that the two had decided to go home in the middle of the day. Again. Months after months, with the two behaving like two _brats_ who didn't like that he was their boss, he was only a breath away from no longer protecting them and their jobs. What would happen if someone else had to work with them? It was why he had never sent their probie anywhere with either one of the two.

"Here." He gave the young man his coffee, before sitting down to work. Work was pretty much all he did now, in order to keep their solve rate high as ever, and his desk was where he too often ended up falling asleep. More than he wanted to think, there had been times he could've gotten killed while working outside, simply because of the lack of sleep or because someone wasn't watching his six.

"Well... The case is closed and we all need some sleep. Go home and come back tomorrow morning." He spoke to the man, who looked uncertain. Finally shaking his head.

"Boss... May I speak freely..?"

Tony felt amused by the way this _kid,_ with huge puppy dog eyes, had put him on some sort of pedestal. Even after he at first came up with nicknames to go with the man's name, until the work took all the energy. "Go on, Webster."

"I know _you_ barely go home..." Webster blushes, seeing the '_Is that so? Tell me more_', looks Tony gave him.

"And I know you give orders, not suggestions... But... With all respect, I think I will stay... Boss..."

Studying the man, who kept swallowing under his gaze, yet never moved or dropped his gaze from him, Tony hid his smile. Impressive. The probie could give McProbie a lesson on many things. Starting all the way from when McGee himself had been the probie.

"Alright..." Tony spoke finally, gruffly, and Webster smiles. Wide smile and relief written all over his face. Okay. Perhaps his skills _were_ bit lacking on keeping one's emotions not so wide open...

Glancing once more towards his probie, before starting with the mountains of paper work, Tony spoke softly. "You're a good man, Webster. There isn't many people like that... Keep it that way..."

Webster looked up, but his boss was already focusing doing the work. Rubbing his temples constantly. _Headache again_... He really didn't understand _why_ the boss let the other two members of the team treat himself like this... And for some reason it didn't seem to matter how many complaints _he_, and any other people witnessing it all, kept sending to the director... What kind of place was this that would allow such..?

"Thank you, boss..." Webster knew he was still _very_ green, but he was determined to not let down the man, who didn't seem to even realize he was looked up by several other people. All who would have been happy to either have him as their boss or to have him work with or for them...

* * *

"I see... No... No, it's fine... I guess I should've seen it coming from miles away. So it's my own fault... No, it's fine. You didn't know... Don't worry about that... It'll be fine... Thanks again for your hard work. I owe you one, man."

Ending the phone call, Tony sighs. Just staring at his hands and the cellphone they were holding. Gibbs had indeed done it again... That d*mned bastard had been out of the country for months now. On some not so secret mission, because some old friend of his had needed help.

After not getting a word if their boss was even alive, Tony had finally had enough and called in few favors, to find out what was going on. Some half cooked excuse of a 'mission', out of some loyalty towards some old marine friend whom Gibbs had only known for few years, many years ago. And that was all cool and everything, but what hurt was how the man behaved as if he couldn't trust his own team, trust _him_, to help. To watch his six. However insane the whole thing may have been.

"You know. I actually really thought that we were past this... Stupid me..."

Jimmy looked up from the book he was studying during his free time. "What did he do this time?"

"Oh you know. The usual. Decided that it's fine to not even let us know he's going somewhere in the first place... We had to find out from Vance of all the people... D*mn coward... And not a word after all these months to let us know that '_Hey. I'm still alive. No need to worry. Sorry I left like that again. How are you doing? I hope you're not giving DiNozzo hard time._' God forbid if any of _us_ does so much as not pick up any of _his_ phone calls... All the d*mned rules of his which he himself ignores whenever it suits his needs."

Furrowing his brows, Tony looked almost desperate. "Is it just me? Am I overthinking everything? Maybe it's all in my head only... Am I asking too much from McGee and Ziva? Is that why they are rebelling against anything I tell them to do?"

Jimmy shakes his head. "I know I've told it before, but I'm going to say it again: Take one of the job offers. Don't torture yourself like this anymore..."

"Jimmy..."

"I'm _serious_, Tony. You look horrible. You look like you belong to a hospital or worse, rather than working the way you are. And I most certainly don't want to see you inside one of our body bags. I'm pretty sure neither does Ducky. You know he's not getting any younger. Don't be the cause for another heart attack."

"Geez. Thanks, man." Tony rolled his eyes and yawned.

"Get some sleep now. I _promise_ to wake you up this time." Jimmy pointed at the dark corner in the room with bunch of blankets, where Tony had been taking his 'power naps' almost daily now.

"You better..." Tony glared playfully, before taking his place under the blankets. Usually he slept like a dog anyway, but last time he'd been so tired, he slept so deeply that almost nothing could have woken him up. It was only after Webster came to look for him that he woke up.

Barely had he laid his head down, when he was gone like a light. Jimmy looked at him for a moment sadly, before going back to his studies.

* * *

_It can't get much worse from this_. Thinking like that, perhaps he had asked for it. Maybe he shouldn't have let himself get so used to the way things now were.

"Abby. I'm sorry I forgot..." Tony sighs. Staring at the upset goth standing next to his desk. The woman who had seemed to be in a bad mood ever since he had told what Gibbs had done, again. Seems that now she finally got to her breaking point. All because he had been way over his head with his work load and for some reason their probie had been transferred to another team and with McGee and Ziva doing their work when it pleased them and the way they wanted to do it, it was all on him.

Well, maybe that wasn't complete truth... Several other agents from other teams had started secretly helping him out whenever they could. Not taking no for an answer. Didn't seem to matter how busy they themselves were. He could never be grateful enough for that...

"You _know_ I need my Caf-Pow! Gibbs would _never_-"

"Gibbs isn't here now, Abs."

"Don't _you_ call me that!"

"Abby..." Tony stood up and pulled the woman into a hug. She started crying.

"I miss him so much, Tony..."

"Yeah, I know..." If the pictures of the old man in the lab weren't clue enough, then he would've had to be blind.

"Why doesn't he even call me? Are you _sure_ he's okay? I mean, maybe he's hurt somewhere? Or even worse..."

"I'm sure."

It took some time to calm her down and when it finally happened... His phone started ringing.

"Your phone..." Abby mumbled, but made no move to step away from the hug.

Tony didn't answer. He was staring at the name on the screen. Taking in a shaky breath, he finally answered the call. More than anything almost, he was hoping it would mean the boss would finally return and that nothing was wrong. "Hey boss."

Abby's head snapped up and she finally stepped back. Staring with big eyes.

"Yeah... We're fine..." Tony lied. Frowning when Gibbs sounded strange. It also sounded like there was someone with him since he kept snapping at someone while talking to him.

"When will you come back?" He decided now was not the time to start opening up his heart and just get straight to the point.

"Really? You sure about that?" He made a face and took the phone away from his ear for a moment, when Gibbs decided to snap at _him_ this time.

"No, boss. I didn't mean anything by that. Just that you've been gone pretty long now and Abby misses you."

Tony frowns when he heard a gun shot. "Gibbs? Is everything alright in there?"

He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "_Really_, boss. I thought you know me better than that. I'm just worried... Look. I have _no idea_ what kind of bug has crawled up in your ass, but you're not the only one who's had a bad day."

Either it was him getting tired of pretending to be able to just keep being Gibbs's s*ithole to dump all his crap in or then Gibbs just had needed someone for his venting. And hey, he was DiNozzo. Gibbs's loyal spit bucket. Everyone knew he could take anything.

Whatever the reasons were, didn't really matter and neither of the two would later really even remember the details of it, but they ended up in a major shouting match on the phone. Both loud enough for everyone around to be able to hear. At the end of it Tony finally had enough and he finished the call by throwing the cellphone across the room. Smashing it into pieces. After that there had been almost deadly silence in the bullpen. Although he did mutter an apology for losing it in there like that.

And then almost exactly two hours later came Fornell with two other agents. He knew the time it took, because it was the time it took for his teammates to return from their coffee break.

As shocked and angry as the other agents were for the FBI to be taking him with them because of some murder, _again_, what shocked everyone even more was how Tony's teammates didn't do or say anything to even try to stop it from happening.

And as much as Tony had seen and learned what they were capable of doing, this shocked even him. He didn't say anything as he just quietly stood up and walked to the agents, leaving with them. He never saw the look on Fornell's face or noticed how the old man hesitated before taking him.

For several days Tony spent his time with the FBI guys and not locked up anywhere this time. For some reason Fornell seemed to think it was their job to make sure that he was both eating and sleeping. Even Slacks treated him like another human being. It was ironic how it was thanks to this situation that he was finally getting some much needed rest and eating some real food.

By the time he was declared innocent, he nearly begged for Tobias to make everyone else think he had left the city for few days. He needed some time to think and decide what the h*ll he should do with his life. To decide how to deal with the people in his life. How to deal with Gibbs. And he needed some time away from everyone.

He was so tired when he made it to his apartment that he never noticed the man standing further away, observing him. Calculating his next move.

_**The End... Not. The story begins and continues in the 'Jack's Helloween'.  
**_


	2. Little Sidenote

**So, since I don't have my laptop or any computer right now, I decided to put this one back up/recover... Hopefully I'll have my laptop fixed or something by next month... So I hope at least... Since this life without the internet makes me crazy..! Tiny mobile phone can't do a whole lot...**

_**Leo**_


End file.
